The prior art abounds with compositions used to treat nails of an individual for cosmetics purposes, therapeutic purposes, preventative purposes, or all of the above. In particular, fungal infections of various types of the nails, particularly toe nails, are common and there are numerous, commercially available topical preparations to treat these fungal infections.
One disadvantage of many commercially available compositions for treating nail fungal infections, be they over-the-counter or proprietary, is that the compositions typically contain a large proportion of oil. Thus, the prior art compositions typically contain oils, principally of vegetable origin, which are also used in a wide variety of cosmetic products. As is known, these cosmetic oils are composed principally of saponifiable esters, particularly fatty acid tryglycerides. Non-limiting examples of such vegetable oils include soybean oil, avocado oil, corn oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil, almond oil, etc. It is also known to use oils and fats derived from animals such as mink oil, and beef tallow.
Antifungal compositions containing a high proportion of oils and fats, be they vegetable or animal, suffer from several disadvantages. For one, because these oils are prone to degradation, the compositions typically contain a preservative or antioxidant as for example parabens, i.e., esters of parahydroxybenzoic acid, the most common being methyl paraben, propyl paraben, and butyl paraben. In addition, antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) have also been used as preservatives/antioxidants. While there is no unassailable evidence that the preservatives/antioxidants pose any serious health risks, many people are wary of their potential health risks and in general seek to avoid compositions which contain them. This can become a problem if they are present in nail antifungals since the patient may be reluctant to use the nail antifungal with the frequency required to eliminate the fungal infection.
Another disadvantage of antifungal formulations containing high amounts of oils or fats is that they leave a deposit on the nail surface which can be unpleasant for the user, and can also result in poor adherence of nail polish or the like to the nail surface. While this is a cosmetic issue, it is nonetheless a nuisance.